Apocryphal Gospels

HIDDEN TRUTHS ABOUT JESUS?

This is big. A lot of people are going to be upset. This changes the history of early Christianity. This dramatic statements came from scholars welcoming the publication of the Gospel of Judas, a text thought lost for over 16 centuries. THERE is renewed interest in apocryphal gospels. But what are the apocryphal gospels? Canonical and Apocryphal Gospels Between 41 and 98 C.E., Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John wrote down ''the history of Jesus Christ.'' (Matthew 1:1) These are sometimes called gospels, meaning ''good news'' about Jesus Christ. Mark 1:1 While there may have been oral traditions as well as other writings about Jesus, these four Gospels were the only ones considered inspired of God and worthy of being part of the Holy Scriptures. (Luke 1:1-4; Acts1:1,2; 2Timothy 3:16, 17) The four Gospels are mentioned in all the ancient catalogs of the Christian Greek Scriptures. There is no basis for questioning their canonicity their status as part of the inspired Word of God. In time, though, other writings started to appear that were also given the name gospels. These other gospels were called apocryphal. What means the term ''apocryphal''? The term ''apocryphal'', is a Greek word that means ''to hide away''. Originally it indicated a text that was reserved for the followers of a particular school of thought. It was hidden to the uninitiated. It eventually came to denote writings not included in the authentic Bible canon.

Apocryphal Gospels: Far-fetched Accounts About Jesus The ''Proto-Gospel of James'', also called ''The Birth of Mary,'' describes Mary's birth and childhood and her marriage to Joseph. It has been described as religious fiction and as a legend. The ''infancy Gospel of Thomas'' concentrates on Jesus as a child-between 5 and 12 years of age and credits him with performing a series of far-fetched miracles. (John 2:11.) Some apocryphal gospels, such as the ''Gospel of Peter,'' about events related to the trial, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Others, such as the ''Acts of Pilate,'' a part of the ''Gospel of Nicodemus,'' tells about people connected with those events. The invention of facts and even people discredits these texts completely. For example, in the ''Gospel of Peter'', Pontius Pilate is exonerated and Jesus' resurrection is described in a fanciful way. The Superiority of the Canonical Gospels Held next to the canonical Gospels, the aprocryphal gospels betray a clear lack of divine inspiration. (2Timothy 1:13) They reveal no hidden truths about Jesus and Christianity. They also contain inaccurate, invented, fanciful accounts that are of no help in getting to know Jesus and his teachings. 1Timothy 4:1, 2. THE WATCHTOWER APRIL 1, 2012 19 Photo Credit: Inmagine-A8BTX3